Riobard

Tartego, can I suggest one thing? STOP ASKING THE PRICE! Avoid punctuating any sentence about cost with a question mark. You tell the guy the price early in the exchange and, before he can respond, hightail it out of his space and make like you are moving on to tell the next guy what the price you pay is. No fiagling, no negotiating, no offer/counteroffer, etc. Avoid setting yourself up for a dynamic of coming down in price. A depreciation in a utility always feels psychologically worse than an equal appreciation. The guy is then always put in the position of getting less than he might have. If he accepts your offer, that is to say I mean if he accepts your bottom-line, without pouty-frowny-face, the dynamic is more about hope, hope that he will receive more than your price following the service. Hope is more potently incentivizing than any arbitrary amount of money. That said, do not enter into a discussion about tip prior to the encounter. Let the hope/ambiguity dynamic drive his service. Being in PA, you might consider this strategy as experimental, trying on for size, and the roster of guys does not likely intersect with Rio. That's all ... R out. 

I think I only very very partly understand, as my hand periodically moves up to my noggin to scratch, as if it has a mind of its own. So we are advised to pay no heed to what the prostitutes think of us, as we are simply unidimensional cash flow sources. Yet we are to be wary of these brainiacs' perceptions of us as sucker-punch-bags regarding fees, so in that one small point-of-pride arena we are to make an exception. And I am to care what a handful of local club-goers think of me, WHY? This small gaggle of potentially embittered locals can potentially make or break my travel experience here? I am to differentially accommodate the local customers by paying what they pay while not accommodating the hopes of prostitutes for better profits? My Convoluted Reasoning & Anti-intellectual Pomposity (CRAP) meter dial is flippin' off the charts. I am fine with paying what the trend is, but I just won't swallow a flimsy rationale, thank you very much. 

Tartego, can I suggest one thing? STOP ASKING THE PRICE! Avoid punctuating any sentence about cost with a question mark. You tell the guy the price early in the exchange and, before he can respond, hightail it out of his space and make like you are moving on to tell the next guy what the price you pay is. No fiagling, no negotiating, no offer/counteroffer, etc. Avoid setting yourself up for a dynamic of coming down in price. A depreciation in a utility always feels psychologically worse than an equal appreciation. The guy is then always put in the position of getting less than he might have. If he accepts your offer, that is to say I mean if he accepts your bottom-line, without pouty-frowny-face, the dynamic is more about hope, hope that he will receive more than your price following the service. Hope is more potently incentivizing than any arbitrary amount of money. That said, do not enter into a discussion about tip prior to the encounter. Let the hope/ambiguity dynamic drive his service. Being in PA, you might consider this strategy as experimental, trying on for size, and the roster of guys does not likely intersect with Rio. That's all ... R out. 

Ok, then. Kkkkk. One zero-sum game console play per port.

Tartego, can I suggest one thing? STOP ASKING THE PRICE! Avoid punctuating any sentence about cost with a question mark. You tell the guy the price early in the exchange and, before he can respond, hightail it out of his space and make like you are moving on to tell the next guy what the price you pay is. No fiagling, no negotiating, no offer/counteroffer, etc. Avoid setting yourself up for a dynamic of coming down in price. A depreciation in a utility always feels psychologically worse than an equal appreciation. The guy is then always put in the position of getting less than he might have. If he accepts your offer, that is to say I mean if he accepts your bottom-line, without pouty-frowny-face, the dynamic is more about hope, hope that he will receive more than your price following the service. Hope is more potently incentivizing than any arbitrary amount of money. That said, do not enter into a discussion about tip prior to the encounter. Let the hope/ambiguity dynamic drive his service. Being in PA, you might consider this strategy as experimental, trying on for size, and the roster of guys does not likely intersect with Rio. That's all ... R out. 

Tartego, can I suggest one thing? STOP ASKING THE PRICE! Avoid punctuating any sentence about cost with a question mark. You tell the guy the price early in the exchange and, before he can respond, hightail it out of his space and make like you are moving on to tell the next guy what the price you pay is. No fiagling, no negotiating, no offer/counteroffer, etc. Avoid setting yourself up for a dynamic of coming down in price. A depreciation in a utility always feels psychologically worse than an equal appreciation. The guy is then always put in the position of getting less than he might have. If he accepts your offer, that is to say I mean if he accepts your bottom-line, without pouty-frowny-face, the dynamic is more about hope, hope that he will receive more than your price following the service. Hope is more potently incentivizing than any arbitrary amount of money. That said, do not enter into a discussion about tip prior to the encounter. Let the hope/ambiguity dynamic drive his service. Being in PA, you might consider this strategy as experimental, trying on for size, and the roster of guys does not likely intersect with Rio. That's all ... R out. 

I don't perceive any actual disclaimer here, but just to add, since wages as well as local providers and customers were brought into the conversation: factoring in purchase power parity, gringo customers paying "local" rates are essentially pocketing 60-75% discounts relative to local customers. After all, the average wage is an equalizer among Brazilians if not between Brazilians and outsiders. These de facto discounts are, I think, a pretty pretty pretty good deal and good thing going for visitors or expats receiving origin pay.
Purchase power parity also impacts on the cost of goods and services and on what any single expense is subjectively worth. If you decide you will pay on a par with what locals put out, you may spend considerably less than what you might be prepared to spend in a different context. Of course this will also depend on the value you place on money itself. I think that many additional variables other than being at price war with providers and romance war with oneself come into play in measuring the meaning of cash. 

I was having lunch in Candelaria today and dropped in NMM close to 17:00 to have a look-see poke-around with the attendant and to compare the after with the before. It is a disaster, far worse than I imagined the change, though admittedly I had never seen the 18 TO address before dark in the cold light of day. The metal spiral staircase up to the 3rd level bank of cabins is I believe the one that was rarely formerly used. I cannot envision anyone the least bit portly getting up there, though they'd have sweated off a few during a programa. If you are caught dead in this club (I won't be) there'd likely have been a fire. Gotta say, though, the operators have some balls to keep it going in its current form. One can understand not putting much effort into it if casing new locations. 

If I find the right local who has his own vehicle and is up for it, I will def consider next SoHem winter. I heve extended one feeler. 

I have been here for a short enough time that I would find it difficult to even begin to describe the challenging stunning bitch that is this city, but a long enough time to be of the view that your well intentioned précis was overgeneralized.  I think I would leave it to the likes of Jane Jacobs, Richard Florida, etc.
It would be interesting to know what you 'took in' outside of the corridors of "pau", though. Just a soupçon for a little balance. Really, nobody here wants so much detail as to crowd out the nonsparing details of your X-rated experiences
Again, you have 60 minutes to log in and edit a post for corrections, you will see the edit prompt during that time ... there is an optional field to say you edited it (I choose not to) and a field, I believe mandatory, to explain in a word or two the edit reason, spelling, clarification etc. If you backspace the entire text I believe it will nullify that one post.

I highlighted your mistake.  That is, if you managed to diss every restaurant in Largo de Guimaraes!  
I have friends who live in the neighborhood and am able to go out for lunch there several times a month.   When not dining in their homes I appreciate the excellent dining experience to be found there.  As  confirmed by local and international restaurant reviews.  Most of these restaurants frequented by locals -as you may have discovered elsewhere in your travels - do not necessarily offer sweeping views to be considered the best overall dining experiences.   Like in Europe where the hot spots are often considered 'hole in the walls.'  Although that description is not apt for Largo de Guimaraes and other areas,  offering incredible local cuisine, and for great value.   Often they have outdoor terraces, for an even more pleasant dining experience but you  have to venture inside and then out again, to discover that.
Note though that I didn't highlight your restaurant choice as a mistake!   Aprazivel is great for a first-time visitor to soak up the atmosphere, or for locals over drinks for a commemoration of some sort.   Have been there a couple times this year, and many times over the years for friends visiting from overseas.    It offers fine food, as you noted, but at high prices.   Along with that panoramic view.   I feel bad for the owners as their fixed costs must be very high and they just recently actually invested in their business,  installing a kick-ass glass elevator (how many of those has anyone found in Brazil?!) which now enables handicapped and older folks access, and the rest of us to avoid the many steps there after a few too many drinks!
Anyway, just wanted to provide a local perspective.  Good to see that you are making the most of your visit .  You are exploring and getting around far more than most here do!
 

Kkkkkk. I live here for big chunks of Northern Hemisphere winters. My descriptive notes, for Rio as a city, would be appreciably different from yours posted here. 
I would stick to the 2.5 sauna clubs we know unless you are curious to see how the 'other side' lives. 

I like that you know and stand by your philosophy and preference in this regard.

Narratives, myths, legends, truisms do tend to have potential for thematic variations down here ... like this art deco statue angle that slants the resurrection story

Loving your thoughtful, insightful, eloquent, elegant posts, Darkseraphim.
Regarding Peru: I understand visitors to Machu Picchu had a rough go of it recently due to wildcat bus strike and had to walk back a long trek to the stage of transport still operating. Can happen anywhere but resonates with your commentary. 
Just so you know, I am Tristan's 1st dibs Isolde. 

@Riobard: Given that we are talking about the rough trade in Latin America bringing the legend of Tristan & Isolde into this is very interesting.  Foreign travel and forbidden love may await you 
In Peru, I was praying the whole time I was in Cusco that there would be no labor action to prevent me visiting and returning from Machu Picchu.  The rural economy in Peru is very underdeveloped and these people see literally millions of comparatively wealthy foreigners pass through their country.  Many of the indigenous population now have access to mobile devices and entertainment from the industrialized economies.  They see the good life on the screens and right in front of them and many now want a taste of it themselves.  Given the wealth disparity in many Latin American countries I'm grateful that things have remained relatively stable so far; we can't have the entire Hemisphere acting like Venezuela.  I just pray that America doesn't get the Latin America disease as well.

Yeah ... thumbs up on the green-lighting of his A-rod and juicy butt!

PS: Now I do think the pics are the same guy, Tristan, of La Diosa ... Peruvian.